This invention relates to a disposable diaper for absorption and containment of bodily discharges.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 1997-75390A discloses a pants-type disposable diaper having a waist-hole and a pair of leg-holes, comprising an outer sheet having front and rear waist regions opposed to each other and a crotch region extending between these waist regions and an inner pad disposed to the inner side of the outer sheet so as to extend over a full length of the crotch region and further into the front and rear waist regions.
The outer sheet has waist-surrounding peripheral side regions extending across the front and rear waist regions, respectively, in a transverse direction, respective transversely opposite side regions of the front and rear waist regions extending in a longitudinal direction and transversely opposite thigh-surrounding peripheral side regions of the crotch region extending over full length of the crotch region in the longitudinal direction. These thigh-surrounding peripheral side regions curve inwardly in the transverse direction of the outer sheet. The front and rear waist regions are overlaid along the respective side regions thereof and joined together in the vicinity of outermost edges of these side regions by means of a plurality of heat-sealing lines arranged intermittently in the longitudinal direction along these side regions thereof. The front and rear waist regions are provided with suspenders extending downward from the respective waist-surrounding peripheral side regions toward the crotch region and a plurality of elastic members extending in the transverse direction, secured thereto in a stretched state.
The inner pad comprises a liquid-pervious topsheet facing a wearer's skin, a liquid-impervious backsheet facing away from a wearer's skin and a liquid-absorbent core interposed between these top- and backsheets. The inner pad has a rectangular shape being relatively long in the longitudinal direction and has a pair of side flaps generally rectilinearly extending along transverse opposite side edges of the core in the longitudinal direction. The side flaps are further provided respectively with stretchable elastic members generally rectilinearly extending in the longitudinal direction and secured thereto in a stretched state. The inner pad has its longitudinally opposite ends adapted to be detachably attached to the respective suspenders provided on the outer sheet.
In the case of the diaper disclosed in the above-cited Publication, both the side flaps of the inner pad and the elastic members secured thereto generally rectilinearly extend in the longitudinal direction of the diaper. With such an arrangement, both the side flaps and the elastic members never extend around wearer s thighs in a circumferential direction thereof when the diaper is worn. It is impossible therefore to put the side flaps of the inner pad closely around wearer's thighs utilizing a contractile force of the elastic members and it is likely that undesirable gaps might be formed between the side flaps and a wearer's skin and excretion discharged on the inner pad might leak out beyond the side flaps.